Aside from a teaser image released back in February we haven't heard much about The Predator, Shane Black's sequel to the 1987 classic. Now that he's finished work on The Nice Guys the director has begun to reveal a few tidbits of info for his upcoming sci-fi actioner, specifically his plans to make a few upgrades to Predator's costume:
"It’s not to ‘improve,’ it’s make it fun, make it different, make it organically different", Black told ComingSoon. "So what’s the extension of it that makes sense, that’s exciting? There have been a lot of changes to Stan’s design over the years. These different Predator movies have done different things. Ultimately it’s not about design to me, it’s about the story you want to tell".
"There are people who are always going to agonize over Iron Man, what color his suit is", Black continued. "Maybe this weapon does a new thing, but if the story is not good I don’t give a shit what color the suit is. In The Predator we’re doing a lot of upgrades to what you would consider to be the traditional Predator technology and look, but hopefully the story is what’s going to drag people in, not just the attention to the minutiae".
Considering how far practical and digital VFX have advanced since 1987, news of a new look for Predator isn't all that surprising. Black's quote is right on the money though; at the end of the day, Predator's suit is just fancy and expensive window dressing. It's the story that matters, so here's hoping Black and co-writer Fred Dekker have crafted a narrative that's worth telling.
Directed by Shane Black, The Predator is released in cinemas on March 2, 2018.
Images: 20th Century Fox
